Pawn shop clients are an extremely diverse group, coming from just about every walk of life. While we love all of our customers, some of them can be particularly hard to forget. In honor of these clients, here are a few stories of patrons-Memorable Customers- who really left an impression on their pawn broker.
First off, in an interview with the Boston Globe, Micheal Goldstein, who runs Empire Pawn’s eight Massachusetts locations, shared the touching tale of his most memorable client:
“Noel had some mental challenges, a low IQ. He was a nice man, very simple. He ended up in a shelter, where he met Marie. She was also low IQ, and she was very sweet. One day, he’s dressed a little nicer. He borrows on Marie’s bracelet and says they are going to city hall and getting married. I asked him what they were going to do after. He says, ‘Not much.’ I told him to come back to the store. I go to the bakery up the street and say, ‘You’ve got to make me a wedding cake, fast.’ She put together a little tiered cake and we had a cake-cutting ceremony at the store for Noel and Marie.”
Next, one pawn broker at a shop in Minnesota shared an experience that perfectly illustrates the adage that you can never judge a book by its cover. She was working at the shop one day when in walked a tattooed, mohawk-sporting young woman and her boyfriend. The pair made their way towards the display televisions which were playing Disney’s Tangled, an animated version of the children’s classic Rapunzel. Upon seeing what was on the TVs, the woman yelled out, “Oh, my god, is that Tangled? I love this movie!” When she realized the woman was singing along with the movie, the pawn broker asked her if she was interested in buying a copy. The woman turned around and told the pawn broker that it was too late: she already owned a copy…and the soundtrack.
Finally, a Virginia pawn broker told a story that will strike a chord with any collectors of fine art. The shop had a small version of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa available for sale and a customer was interested in how much it was going for. After finding out it was priced at $15, the client asked whether it was the original. Puzzled, the pawn broker could only manage a single “no” in reply. Disappointed, the client a Memorable Customers-responded, “Oh. I’m trying to get my hands on the original.” Him and us both.
If you think you’re our next memorable client, or are just looking to borrow some quick cash, head down to any of Common Exchange’s eight locations today.
